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ELA Goals in 2025: Definitions & Specificities

Coming up with ELA goals can be a difficult task, especially if you’re just an ordinary parent, not a tutor. But don’t worry! I’m an expert teacher, and today I’ll walk you through a couple of things to keep in mind so you can easily define your child’s main goals for ELA without confusing or overwhelming them. 

Key Points

• The ELA goals are determined using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound), which helps monitor how students are learning.
• ELA is crucial for developing skills in a number of school subjects. 
• Brighterly is one of the best e-learning platforms to set, practice, and achieve ELA goals. 

What are the goals of ELA?

ELA (English Language Arts) goals are specific goals aiming to develop students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills. An ELA goal helps learners understand and analyze texts, communicate effectively, express ideas clearly, and use language for different purposes and in different contexts. 

For a deeper glimpse into ELA, please check the expert article — What is ELA and why is it important.

ELA smart goals examples

The ELA objectives are usually determined through the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) and help with monitoring academic progress. Here are a couple of smart goals for ELA examples:

• Reading: By the end of the semester, I will increase my reading comprehension score by 10% through reading and summarizing 1 chapter book every 2 weeks. 
• Writing: In 3 months, I will improve my essay writing and use proper paragraph structure and transition words in 9 out of 10 of my assignments. 
• Speaking and listening: In the next 6 weeks, I will participate in 2 class discussions each week, using evidence from texts to support my idea.
• Vocabulary: By the end of the semester, I will learn and correctly use 40 new academic vocabulary words and incorporate them into my speaking and writing. 
• Grammar: In 3 months, I will reduce grammar errors by 50% through weekly solo grammar practice.

These ELA IEP goals should give you a general idea of what they are and how they can be structured. Next, let’s review ELA objectives examples for each school level.

ELA smart goals for elementary students

ELA goals for students in elementary have to be clear, age-appropriate, and focused on building foundation skills while not overwhelming students. For example, the 1st grade ELA IEP goals should encourage curiosity and make education fun. By contrast, mastering complex grammar is definitely not the core priority in this grade. 

• Reading: By the end of the semester, I will read one new chapter book each week and summarize its main characters and main ideas. 
• Writing: In 2 months, I will be able to write a five-sentence paragraph with clear sentences in every writing task. 
• Spelling and vocabulary: In 2 months, I will correctly spell 20 new vocabulary words and use them in my speaking and writing.
• Speaking and listening: In the next week, I will raise my hand to share at least one idea during class discussions.
• Comprehension: In the next 2 weeks, I will answer at least 8 out of 10 comprehension questions correctly on my weekly reading quizzes.

Smart goals for ELA in middle school

Goals in ELA middle school studies focus on improving reading comprehension, reading a specific number of pages or books, improving grammar, or increasing participation in class discussions. 

Here are a couple of ELA goals for 5th grade, ELA goals for 6th grade, and ELA goals for 7th graders.

• Reading: By the end of the semester, I will read one book per month and summarize its characters and main ideas.
• Writing: I will dedicate 20 minutes each day to practice writing passages with 30 sentences each. 
• Vocabulary: In 2 months, I will learn and memorize 30 new vocabulary words and use them in my speaking and writing.
• Speaking and listening: In the next 3 months, I will participate in class discussions at least twice a week. 
• Comprehension: In the next semester, my goal is to improve my reading comprehension skills by reading two books of at least 200 pages each.

Goals for ELA in high school

In high school, it’s crucial to focus on advanced ELA skills like reading comprehension of complex tests, writing coherent passages, using academic language, etc. 

Let’s review what could be an ELA goal example in high school:

• Reading: By the end of the semester, I will analyze, interpret, and summarize 2 academic articles per week.
• Writing: In the next 3 months, I will conduct several research projects using 5+ sources.
• Speaking and listening: In the next 3 months, I will do 2 presentations and support my findings.
• Comprehension: In the next semester, my goal is to improve my reading comprehension skills by reading three books with 300 pages each. 

How Brightelry can help prepare, practice, and achieve ELA goals?

Brighterly math and reading platform is an online educational platform for kids in grades 1–9. It aims to connects students with expert math and reading tutors to achieve academic success through building, practicing, and achieving ELA goal for students. 

The Brighterly platform, in particular, helps kids close their learning gaps and improve their academic performance through affordable private tutoring. 

Brighterly’s key features

• Expert-driven tutors 
• School-aligned curriculum
• Free learning resources

Expert-driven tutors

Brighterly only collaborates with the best tutors, who are specially trained to teach online. Each potential candidate undergoes a rigorous evaluation that includes a background check, and only the highly experienced tutors are accepted. 

What’s more, Brighterly’s experts adapt their teaching techniques to each kid’s ELA goal IEP needs and help close learning gaps and improve skills.

School-aligned curriculum

Brighterly reading program is fully school-aligned and adheres to the US state standards. What exactly does that mean? Each individual program is aligned with the standards set for the US education at schools. It means that your child will meet the school’s criteria while practicing personalized skills. 

Free learning resources 

Brighterly provides students with free learning  resources  like reading worksheets and reading tests — available to you with no credit card or sign-up required. They are ideal for solo learners or to practice additional skills, for example, as outlined in the ELA goal sample above.

Tips for writing effective ELA goals

Now that you know what are some goals for ELA, you should also learn to write ELA smart goals on your own. Although the whole process can be tricky at first, you can make it much easier for yourself when following these core tips:

• Use the SMART framework: I always advise parents to use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). This eliminates the guesswork and allows both you and your child much-needed clarity.
• Prioritize knowledge gaps: Focus on what matters most — any ELA goal is useless if it’s not personalized to a student.
• Collaborate with educators: If you’re not entirely sure about what ELA goals are, it’s important to collaborate with your child’s tutor — this way, you will be on the same page regarding your educator’s requirements.

Conclusion

Writing an effective ELA goal for your child can be confusing. But with this guide at hand, you can rest assured — you have all the tools to craft meaningful, achievable ELA goals. 

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a platform that will help your child both with writing and achieving ELA goals, Brighterly is there for you!

With features like 1:1 personalized lessons, school-aligned learning plans, and in-depth educational resources, your kid will get the support, so book free reading lesson now — don’t lose time!